Massachusetts
There’s more Massachusetts nominees for Oscars that you might think. See list
Will ‘Sinners’ shock at the Oscars? Our Academy Awards picks
USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt reveals his 2026 Academy Awards predictions, including the best actress, actor and picture categories.
Oscars weekend is officially here.
With a record-breaking 16 nominations for “Sinners,” a whopping 13 nominations for “One Battle After Another” and tight competition in both the best actor and best actress categories, the 98th Academy Awards promises to be intense. Among this year’s highly competitive list of nominees are multiple films with ties to Massachusetts, including directors, writers and costume designers who once called the state home.
Plus, the Oscars’ Massachusetts connections continue outside of the competition aspect of the show, with multiple presenters hailing from the Bay State.
Here are all the nominees and presenters of the 2026 Academy Awards with Massachusetts ties.
2026 Oscars nominees with ties to Massachusetts
Sinners
One of the 16 awards which “Sinners” is nominated for is best costume design, recognizing the work of Springfield native Ruth E. Carter. The Massachusetts-born costume designer has previously won two Academy Awards for “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Carter’s “Sinners” nomination officially makes her the most-nominated Black woman in Oscars history, surpassing the record previously held by Rhode Island native Viola Davis.
Marty Supreme
A24 drama “Marty Supreme” – which is up for nine awards, including best picture – was directed by Boston University alum Josh Safdie. Safdie himself is nominated for three awards, including best director, as well as best original screenplay and best film editing alongside co-writer and co-editor Ronald Bronstein.
Hamnet
The writer and director of “Hamnet,” Chloé Zhao, also went to college in Massachusetts at Mount Holyoke College. This year, Zhao is nominated in two categories: best director and best adapted screenplay. She is recognized as the first woman of color and second woman overall to win in the best director category, which she did for “Nomadland” back in 2021.
Zootopia 2
Harvard alum Jared Bush co-wrote and co-directed Disney’s “Zootopia 2,” which is nominated in the best animated feature film category.
2026 Oscars presenters with ties to Massachusetts
Chris Evans
Along with all the movies representing Massachusetts at the Oscars this year, Sudbury’s very own Chris Evans will present an award. A graduate of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Evans was first introduced to acting at the Concord Youth Theater.
Conan O’Brien
The entire awards show will be hosted by Conan O’Brien, who was born and raised in Brookline. Best known as the host of many late night shows, the comedian also attended Harvard University, where he served as president of comedy group The Harvard Lampoon.
How to watch the Oscars 2026
This year’s Academy Awards will air live on ABC and the ABC app on Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. The show will be preceded by the official live red carpet show at 6:30 p.m.
The awards ceremony will also be streamed live on Hulu and via FuboTV.
Stream the 2026 Oscars live
Rin Velasco of the USA TODAY Network contributed to this report.
Trombetta’s Farm, at 655 Farm Rd., is listed as a Central Massachusetts stop on the Massachusetts Ice Cream Trail, a state-backed guide launched in 2024 to promote ice cream shops, farm stands, and dairy farms that use Massachusetts dairy products, according to GBH.
The trail features more than 100 destinations across Massachusetts and is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. The map includes dairy farms with ice cream stands, farms selling packaged ice cream, and shops selling Massachusetts ice cream products, according to the tourism office.
Medford native Maria Menounos hosting ‘Heal Squad Day of Reset’ in Yarmouth
Medford native and celebrity Maria Menounos is hosting ‘Heal Squad Day of Reset’ at Red Jacket Beach Resort & Spa in Yarmouth.
Looking for a beach where fellow beachgoers have good manners?
Travel website Exoticca conducted a survey and found the beach with the best beach etiquette in each state, including Massachusetts, so you can know the place where Bay Staters treat both the beach and each other with the most respect.
“We surveyed 3,011 Americans to find out where beachgoers are seen as having the best etiquette, and the results say quite a lot about what people actually want from a beach vacation,” Exoticca said.
In Massachusetts, voters said to head to the North Shore.
Crane Beach — Ipswich, Massachusetts
The extremely popular Crane Beach in the North Shore town of Ipswich was voted the best for beach etiquette by Exoticca’s readers.
Exoticca said that the places that scored the highest in positive beach etiquette were places where people focused on the clarity of the water and the beautiful scenery rather than external distractions like seaside restaurants or shops on the boardwalk, where “everyone around seems to understand that nobody wants the place spoiled.”
Crane Beach is known for its white sand and conservation. It’s one of the nesting places for piping plovers, according to The Trustees.
“To protect threatened shorebirds during your visit, we ask that you avoid the fenced nesting areas and the wrack, the line of washed-up organic debris where the birds feed and hide,” the Trustees said.
Despite having 350,000 people visit annually, according to the Trustees, Crane Beach still achieved the top spot of beach etiquette.
How to visit Crane Beach
Barring going on Martin Luther King Jr. Day or on Veterans’ Day for families with veterans, visitors do have to buy tickets for vehicle entry and parking. Tickets are cheaper if visitors arrive via motorcycle, biking, or walking.
“Strict rules apply: no drop-offs, re-entry for nonmembers, or outside food delivery; dogs and horses are not allowed April 1–September 30,” the ticket selection webpage said.
Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at rvelasco@usatodayco.com.
Massachusetts
Mass stranding of bottlenose dolphins off Cape Cod said to be largest in Massachusetts history
Rescuers were working to save around 30 bottlenose dolphins that got stranded off the coast of Cape Cod early Monday morning. It is the largest known stranding of bottlenose dolphins off Massachusetts, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
The dolphins had become stranded between First Light and Ellis Landing in Brewster at about 5:30 a.m. when they came in with the tide. A woman noticed the animals and reported it. The IFAW quickly responded to the area, but five to six of the marine mammals died before help arrived.
The IFAW worked throughout the day on Monday to get the mammals away from the shoreline before the next low tide at 5:13 p.m. They said late Monday afternoon that they were still successfully being steered away.
“Our team remains in the area to monitor and herd the animals away from shore,” an IFAW spokesperson said. “We know these events can sometimes repeat in the coming hours and days, but we remain hopeful.”
The organization said it had seen an uptick in bottlenose dolphins becoming stranded off Cape Cod in the last few years.
“Bottlenose dolphins are typically an offshore species,” the spokesperson said.
They asked that anyone who encounters a stranded or distressed marine mammal not get close and never drag or push the animal back into the water.
“Similar to a person involved in a car accident, dolphins can become injured and exhausted during a stranding event,” the IFAW said.
Instead, they recommend calling their IFAW stranding hotline at 508-743-9548.
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